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lMay 26 1959 H. L. HEN'KEL ETAL 2,887,965

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May .25, 1959 -H. L. HENKEL ETAL 2,887,965

SECURITY FILE Filed Sept. 2, 1955 5 ShetS-Sheet 4 FIG. 7.

INVENT OR HARVEY L. HENKEL ROLAND @.BLAUVELT Smm@ ATTORNEY 3 May 26, 1959 .H. l.. HENKEL ETAL SECURITY FILE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sep. 2, 1955 FIG.

ATTORNEYS nited States Patent SECURITY FILE Harvey L. Henkel and Roland G. Blauvelt, Hamilton, Ohio, assignors to Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe Company, Hamilton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 2, 1955, Serial No. 532,253

6 Claims. (Cl. 109-59) This invention relates to burglar proof and tire proof tiling cabinets and represents an improvement on the structure disclosed in the copending application of Har vey L. Henkel, Serial No. 435,306, tiled June 8, 1954 and issued August 20, 1957 as Patent No. 2,803,203 and owned by the assignee of this application. As in said copending application, the present invention relates to cabinets of the type comprising a plurality of drawer sections generally arranged in superimposed relation and wherein the drawers are provided with individual locking mechanisms, collectively under the control of one master lock. More specifically, the invention consists in new and useful improvements in the reinforcement of certain critical areas of the cabinet casing and drawer fronts, with laminated steel plates so arranged with respect to the various components of the locking mechanisms as to afford maximum protection against surreptitious entry in the event an attack be made upon the locking mechanism of the file.

As in said copending application, the file cabinets of this invention are provided with gang lock mechanisms, located just inside the front faces of the drawers, each mechanism being equipped with an individual control knob or handle, whereby locking bolts are projected or 'retracted with respect to complementary locking recesses located in the front portion of the cabinet shell adjacent the drawer fronts, the mechanisms being under the common control of a combination lock, usually located in the front of the top drawer of the series.

The location of the gang locking mechanism inside of the drawer head itself as above described, distinguishes over other le cabinets with which we are familiar, in that in the latter, the gang locking mechanism is generally located in the side of the cabinet, operating olf the side of each drawer. It may be noted that the location of thegang locking mechanism inside of the drawer head, facilitates the provision of the necessary protection to the gang locking mechanism as well as to all other operating parts of the file. Thus, the areas most likely to be attacked in an effort to gain unauthorized entry into the present cabinet, are those in the immediate vicinity of either the lock controls or the lock bolts, which as before stated are located in a vertical plane lying just within the front faces of the iile drawers.

It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a laminated steel reinforcing structure, so located with respect to these vital areas, as to shield them against tampering with tools, drills and other implements of that nature.

Another object of the invention is to provide a composite reinforcing plate for installation in the front face of each drawer and formed in a plurality of sections, continuously welded or spot welded at pre-determined points to form an integral plate which resists punching or driving into the drawer front with metal punches, drills, etc.

Still another object of the invention is to provide laminated reinforcing and protecting plates for the vital areas of the cabinet and drawers, wherein alternate layers or Patented May 26, 1959 rifice plies are formed of metal capable of being tempered to a tool resisting hardness to afford maximum protection against the action of tools.

A further object of the invention is to provide an outer shell for the inner casing of the cabinet, formed of spe cial aluminum sheeting metal and designed with selflocking features which not only facilitates the fabrication of the shell, but provides an extremely rigid construction for protecting the casing which houses the sliding drawers.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reinforcing band of hardened laminated metal which is inset with respect to the outer shell of the casing and laterally surrounds the front portion of the cabinet adjacent the drawer receiving openings therein and extends rear-v wardly from the extreme front edge of the cabinet for a distance to provide an encircling shield which intersects the planes of both of the spaced walls of the drawer front when the drawer is in closed position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an encircling shield such as above referred to, at least the outer face of which is laterally concaved toward its longitudinal center to provide detiectng surfaces upon contact with a punch, tool or drill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic bolt catch assembly which prevents the throwing of the lock bolt so long as the drawer is in open position, said catch being automatically released uponvthe closing of the drawer.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an additional protecting deviceoperable upon the opening of the drawer to render it impossible to partially close (but not lock a lower drawer) with the intention of returning to get the contents. In other words, by the use of an automatic protecting plate, it becomes impossible to lock the top drawer unless every drawer below has been closed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lock actuating mechanism including a bolt operating cam member releasably connected to the operating shaft so that in the event the latter is forced inwardly by a punch or the like, it becomes disengaged from the cam and leaves no accessible means for operating the cam.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features herein set forth, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings in which numerals of like character designate similar parts throughout the several views:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a sectional cabinet embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a side view, partially in vertical section, showing the locations of the reinforcing strips and plates;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view, looking forward from inside the drawers, showing two of the drawer sections and their locking mechanisms and illus'- trating the relationship of the drawer front reinforcement;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken transversely through the drawer and cabinet front, illustrating the hardened laminated reinforcing plate and its relationship to the lock mechanism. In this figure the insulation is omitted for clarity;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4 and showing the laminated protecting shield for the gang lock mechanism;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged perspective detail of the sliding plate mechanism for preventing the locking of the cabinet until all drawers are closed;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal sectional view through the cabinet with portions broken away;

Fig. 8 is a reduced perspective detail showing one Iform of aluminum casing for the inner shell;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the front, ladder-like frame;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the laminated reinforcing band;

Fig. 11 is a sectional detail of the bolt catch assembly;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary view, partially in plan and partially in horizontal section, taken at right angles to Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the preferred form of aluminum casing for the inner shell, having interlocking walls.

In the drawings, 20 generally represents a sectional file cabinet which may be basically of conventional structure, including a cabinet outer shell 21 of suitable metal and a series of super-imposed drawers 22, 23 and 24. Obviously, any number of drawer sections may be employed as the occasion demands. The walls of the cabinet are provided with the usual insulation and re proofing material 25, filling the space between the outer shell 21 and an inner shell generally indicated at 26, and completely surrounding the top, rear and bottom walls of the cabinet, and if desired, a reinforcing wire mesh 27 may be inserted within the insulating sheet or body 26.

The outer skin of the cabinet is formed of continuous metal sheets providing side members 21a, a rear member 2lb, and top and bottom members 21c and 21d respectively. The side, top and bottom members are preferably flanged as at 28 so as to overlie the rear member 2lb, the flanges 28 being welded or otherwise suitably secured to form a rigid rectangular outer skin.

The front edges of the sheets forming the sides, top and bottom members are preferably folded upon themselves as at 29 (Fig. 4) for purposes of rigidity and the side members are secured to the Vertical legs 30 of a metal ladder-like frame structure, having a series of vertically spaced, horizontal cross-members 31, welded to and extending across the spaced uprights 30 to provide spacing supports for the drawer-receiving compartments to be described.

The inner shell 26 which forms the actual drawerreceiving chamber, consists of metal side sheets 26a, rear wall 26h and top and bottom walls 26e. The adjoining edges of these metal sheets are welded to complete the inner shell 26 and the shell is enclosed in a supplemental housing generally indicated at 32 in Figs. 7 and 13, which illustrate the preferred form of supplemental housing. A modified form of supplemental housing is shown in Fig. 8 and will be referred to hereafter.

The preferred form of supplemental housing as best shown in Fig. 13 comprises side walls 32a of aluminum sheeting metal which are contiguous with and overlie the side walls 26a of the innner shell and extend from top to bottom of the cabinet. A rear wall 32h (Fig. 7) of similar metal overlies the rear wall 26b of the inner skin and its lateral edges are bent at an angle as at 33, to overhang and abut the outer faces of the respective side walls 32a. Thus, the rear wall 3217 may be vertically slid into place over the rear ends of the side walls 32a with the angular edges or anges 33 acting to secure said side walls in place against the respective side walls 26a of the inner shell.

A similar construction is employed for the top wall 32e, the lateral edges of which are bent angularly as at 34 to overhang the upper ends of the side walls 32a, and if desired, this same arrangement including flanges 35, may be embodied in the bottom wall 32d of the supplemental housing. The angular flanges 33 of the rear wall 32b are slotted as at 36 to accommodate the edges of the angular anges 34 and 35 of the top and bottom walls, thus permitting the sliding of the latter into place so that the adjacent angular flanges 33, 34 and 35 will have an interlocking effect when n their final positions. It will be apparent that this overhanging and interlocking flange structure provides a rigid housing for reinforcing the inner shell 26 and may be assembled with a minimum of effort. After the supplemental housing is assembled, the overhanging and interlocking flanges 34 and 35 may be welded to the adjacent side walls 32a as shown at 37 in Fig. 13.

The modified form of supplemental housing shown in Fig. 8 and generally represented by the numeral 38, simply consists of sidewalls 38a of aluminum sheeting metal which are contiguous with and overlie the sidewalls 26a of the inner shell and extend from top to bottom of the cabinet. A rear wall (not seen in the drawing) of similar metal overlies the rear wall 26h of the inner skin and its lateral edges overhang and abut the adjacent edges of the respective sidewalls 38a. Likewise, the top and bottom plates 3817 and 38e overhang the ends of the side walls 38a and the entire supplemental housing is riveted in place over the inner shell 26 as at 39. In Fig. 8 the inner shell 26 is shown projecting partially from the outer supplemental housing, simply for purposes of illustration.

The forward ends of the compartment forming walls provided by the spaced outer and inner shells 21 and 26, around the end opening of each drawer compartment, constitute a jamb frame including straight top, bottom and side jamb frame members. Each of these jamb frame members includes angularly olfset walls 40 jointly forming a rectangular groove or recess 41 to receive complementary walls bounding the respective drawer fronts, as will later appear.

Each of the jamb frames is formed of sheet metal, the outer edge of each sheet being bent to overlie the front ladder structure formed by the uprights 30 and cross members 31, as shown at 42 in Figs. 4 and 7. These bent portions 42 overlap the adjacent edges 29 of the outer shell 21, and are welded thereto and their inner edges are welded to the adjacent edges of the inner shell 26 and housing 32, at at 43.

As best seen in Fig. 4, the front of each drawer is formed with an outer skin 44 and a rearwardly spaced inner skin 45, joined at top, bottom and sides by a continuous web 46. This web 46 is of an irregular crosssectional prole which coincides with the complementary profile of walls 40 of the jamb frame which bounds the respective drawer receiving compartments of the cabinet, adjacent the drawer receiving openings in the front thereof. This is more or less conventional structure in file cabinets of this type, to insure an interlocking of the drawer front and cabinet opening when the drawer is closed so as to effect a sealing engagement.

The lock mechanisms of the drawers are housed in the spaces between the outer skins 44 and inner skins 45, and although these mechanisms may vary in specic structure, one practical form is illustrated in the drawings, as an example.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it will be seen that the front wall of each drawer is provided with a vertically disposed lock supporting plate 47 located intermediate the front and rear skins of the drawer front. The plate 47 is supported by horizontally disposed metal channels 48 and 48a, welded to opposite edges of the plate 47 with their other ends bent angularly at 49 and welded to the webs 46 on opposite sides of the drawer front. Preferably the angular flanges 49 are provided with openings 50, aligned with similar openings 51 and 52, respectively, in the web 46 of the drawer front and the side walls 40 of the drawer receiving opening in the cabinet. As will later appear, these registering openings are adapted to receive the locking bolts of the drawer locking system. In the uppermost drawer 22 the strip 47 supports a combination lock mechanism 53, of any conventional form, the strip 47 being drilled to receive a forwardly projecting operating shaft 54 which extends through a suitable opening in the front skin of the drawer and carries on its projecting end a combination dial 55. As will later appear, a laminated protecting shield 56 is located immediately in front of the supporting strip 47 and spaced therefrom by cross strips 57 which, together with the shield 56 are welded in place to aiford an auxiliary protection to the locking mechanism. A sleeve 58 substantially encloses the shaft 54 which penetrates the shield 56 and said sleeve is preferably welded in place between a laminated shield 99 and the protecting shield 56 as shown in Fig. 4.

Immediately above the combination lock 53 in the front of drawer 22, is an operating cam plate 59, rotatably mounted on a forwardly projecting shaft 60, supported by the plate 47 and the front skin 44 of the drawer. A similar protecting sleeve 61 surrounds the shaft 60. A thumb latch control 62 is fixed to the projecting outer end of the shaft 60 and the inner end of said shaft and the sleeve 61 project through and extend beyond the cam plate 59 as will be seen from Fig. 4, the end of the shaft 60 having secured thereto with a tapered lit, a radially extending crank arm 63 (Figs. 3 and 7). This tapered tit provides a clutch action on slippage, should undue force be applied to the thumb latch control. The opposite end of the crank arm 63 carries a cylindrical stud 64 which fits loosely in a complementary opening in the cam 59 so that when the shaft 60 is rotated, the cam 59, being freely mounted on the sleeve 61, is caused to rotate through the action of the keyed crank arm 63. The cam 59 is preferably spaced from the lock supporting plate 47 by a spacing `washer 65.

The object attained by this particular arrangement for connecting the operating shaft 60 to the cam 59 is that in the event the thumb latch control 62 is knocked olf the end of the shaft 60 by someone attempting to gain entry to the cabinet, and the shaft 60 is driven inwardly, the crank arm 63 carried by the shaft, becomes disengaged from the cam 59 through removal of the stud 64. This leaves the cam 59 with no means for rotating the same to retract the lock bolts, to be described.

The cam plate 59 is preferably rectangular in shape as shown in Fig. 3 and its lower edge is provided with a projecting shoulder 65. A latch member 66 under control of the combination lock 53 projects upwardly into retractible engagement with the shoulder 65, so that until the latch 66 is retracted, the cam cannot be rotated by the thumb latch control 62. As best seen in Fig. 3, the cam 59 is pivotally connected at opposed eccentric points 67 and 68, to laterally projecting lock bars 69 and 70 respectively. These lock bars 69 and 70 are slidably supported within the cross channel members 48 and 48a respectively, by means of brackets 71 and 72. The brackets may be bolted or otherwise secured to the webs of respective channels. The outer ends of the lock bars form lock bolts which are slidably supported in the registering openings 50, 51 and 52, in opposite side walls of the drawer front, so as to be projectible and retractible with respect to complementary recesses 73 in the adjacent jamb frames of the drawer receiving recesses of the cabinet. Thus, upon rotation of the cam 59, the lock bolts 69 and 70 are either engaged or disengaged with their respective locking recesses 73.

Similar locking mechanisms are installed in each of the drawers of the series and all are under the collective control of the master combination lock 53. To effect this collective control, the top drawer 22 is provided with a main actuating rod 74 which is pivotally connected at its upper end at 75, to one side of the cam 59 and is supported for vertical sliding movement by a bracket 76 in the lower portion of the drawer. The rod 74 is preferably bent at right angles so that its lower end is in abutting relation with the upper end of a spring pressed intermediate plunger 77, located in a supporting tube 78 extending between the horizontal walls which form the bottom of the drawer receiving recess in the cabinet. A spring 79 (Fig. 4) normally urges the plunger 77 upwardly to its limit, but upon clockwise rotation of the cam 59 (Fig. 3) the rod 74 is urged downwardly to de- .e press the plunger 77 against the tension of its spring, so that the plunger acts as a connecting link between the main actuating rod 74 and a second control rod 80 in the drawer 23, next below. The rod 80 is slidably supported in a guide opening 81 and bracket 82 in drawer 23, and is provided with an offset projection or abutment 83, adapted to be brought into and out of abutting relation with the end of locking bolt 70a and backstop pin 84 projecting laterally from the face of a second cam plate 59a in the front of drawer 23. Thus, when the rod 80 and abutment 83 are in the position shown in Fig. 3, counterclockwise rotation of the lock cam 59a is prevented by engagement of the locking bolt end with the abutment 83, so that retraction of the lock bolts 69a and 70a is prevented. The rod 80 is normally urged upwardly by a coil spring 85, against which it is depressed upon the downward movement of the upper rod 74. The rod 80 is of a length such that when in its extreme upward position, its ends will clear the drawer boundaries so as not to interfere with the opening of the drawer, and stop means such as the cotter pin 86 limit the upward movement of the rod. A similar arrangement is installed in all of the succeeding drawers.

It will be apparent that when the rods 74 and 80 are in their lower most positions as shown, the lock bolts of all drawers are in locked engagement. The thumb latch control 62 of the top drawer cannot be operated until the combination lock 53 is released and the corresponding thumb latch controls 62a of the lower drawers cannot operate the cam 59a until the rods 80 are moved upwardly by the release of the main actuating rod 74 to clear the abutment 83 from the path of the locking bolt 70a.

A coil spring 86a extends from a fixed point on the drawer front to an opening 86b in one of the upper corners of the cam 59a, and normally exerts sucient tension to urge the cam towards its extreme clockwise position as viewed from Fig. 3. Upon depressing the thumb latch control 62a, the cam 59a is rotated in counterclockwise direction against the tension of the spring 86a which, upon release of the latch control, immediately tends to return the cam to its normal position. Ordinarily, no spring is required to return the upper cam 59 to its normal position, for the reason that the springs on the rods 80 of the lower drawers, exert suflicient upward pressure on the main control rod 74 to return the cam 59 to its normal position.

With a high security file cabinet such as that forming the basis of this invention, it is important to guard against the possibility of locking the top drawer while any one of the lower drawers is still partially open. To this end we provide a protecting plate mechanism illustrated in detail in Fig. 6 which automatically comes into play upon the initial opening movement of any one of the lower drawers. This protecting device consists of a plate 87 slidably mounted in a retaining bracket 88 which is fixed to the underside of a box-like reinforcing structure 89 formed at the forward end of the drawer receiving opening and preferably formed integrally with the jamb frame member 40. The bracket 88 may be secured by screws or the like 90 and it is so positioned that the path of movement of the plate 87, carries the forward end of the latter directly under the lower end of the plunger 77 which acts as the connecting link between the control rods 74 and 80, as previously explained.

Normally, the coil spring 79 exerts an upward pressure on the plunger 77 so that when the main control 74 is elevated to its extreme upward position in unlocking the top drawer 22, the lower end of the plunger 77 is flush with the lower surface of the jamb frame 40. A coil spring 91 secured to the rear end of the plate 87 at one end as at 92 and to the underside of the bracket 90 as at 93, tends to urge the plate 87 forwardly in the bracket 88. When the drawer 23 is in closed position as shown in Fig. 4, this forward sliding movement of the plate 87 is halted by an abutment 94 xed to the upper rear edge of 7 the drawer front. A reinforcing angle 95 is welded to the drawer front structure, overlying the adjoining edges of the rear skin 45 and the web 46 and the abutment 94 is preferably fixed to the upper leg of the angle 95 in direct line for engagement by the forward end of the plate 87.

When the drawer 23 is in closed position the parts are as shown in Fig. 4 where it will :be seen that the main control rod 74 has pushed the plunger 77 downwardly in its opening 96 in the web 46. When the thumb latch control62 is actuated the main control rod 74 is elevated, permitting the plunger 77 to be raised by its spring 79 so that its lower end is spaced slightly upwardly from the adjacent end of the lower control rod 80. Upon the outward movement of the drawer 23, the abutment 94 recedes from the adjacent end of the plate 87, permitting the spring 91 to slide the plate outwardly so that it underlies the lower end of the plunger 77 to thereby prevent the downward movement of the plunger, should it be undertaken to lock the top drawer 22.

Upon the closing of the drawer 23 in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 6, the abutment 94 strikes the outer end of the plate 87 and forces the same rearwardly against the tension of its spring 91 until the drawer is completely closed and the web 46 of the drawer front has been brought into alignment with the plunger 77 so that the latter can be forced downwardly into contact with the upper end of the control rod 80 which is reciprocably mounted in the opening 96 in web 46.

Thus, with this structure, locking of the top drawer is substantially impeded so long as any one of the lower drawers remains in a partially open position.

As previously stated, one of the primary objects of the present invention is to shield the critical locking areas of the cabinet against unauthorized tampering. It is highly important that the area immediately surrounding the lateral edges of the drawer fronts, be encased so as to prevent the entrance of any tool in the vicinity of the front portions of the drawers. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing an encircling band 1 96 which in actual practice is approximately l: inch thick and 4 inches wide and laminated in five plies of suitable tool resistant metal sheets. As best seen in Figs. 4 -and 7, this laminated protecting band 96 is disposed substantially midway between the outer shell 21 and the inner shell housing 26 with its forward edge welded as at 97 to the uprights 30 and cross members 31 of the front frame of the cabinet. The band 96 is formed of four members welded together at their adjacent ends to provide a substantially rectangular reinforcement which extends entirely around the top, sides and bottom of the cabinet and projects rearwardly from the very front edge of the cabinet to a point suiciently beyond the critical locking areas to completely shield the latter. In cross sectional profile each of the members of the protecting band 96 is bent laterally along its longitudinal axis to form a substantially concave outer surface 98 opposing the adjacent portions of the respective sections of the outer shell 21. The purpose of this angular contour of the outer surface of the band 96 is to present a further obstacle to unauthorized entry by the use of drills or punches in the area surrounding the locking mechanism. In other words, should a tool be driven through the outer shell 21, the angular surface 98 of the band 96 would render considerably more difficult the penetration of the hardened steel plates which form the band.

Furthermore, by disposing the protecting band 96 intermediate the inner and outer shells, insulation can be inserted between the band 96 and the inner shell into the area immediately surrounding the lock bolts 69 and 70.

Preferably, this laminated protecting band consists of hardened steel plates, the two alternate inner layers being of metal capable of being tempered to a tool resisting hardness. The material is generally known to the trades as tool resisting jail and bank steel and can be tempered to a degree of hardness which will resist tool cutting to a very practical degree.

The front area of each drawer is similarly protected by a laminated shield generally indicated by the numeral 99, which is located just inside the front skin 44 of each drawer and extends both vertically and transversely across the entire front. This shield 99 is also formed in live plies of metal with the two alternate inner layers capable of being tempered to a tool resisting hardness and is preferably built up of a series of sections 99a to 99j inclusive, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. These sections are cut to lit into the drawer front in edgewise engagement and are continuously welded to form a composite plate which completely overlies the locking area. The composite plate 99 may be secured in place by providing a downturned ange 101 at the front edge of the web 46 of the drawer front as shown in Fig. 4 to which the plate is welded.

The reason for forming the plate 99 in sections and welding them together in edgewise relation is to facilitate the installation of the protecting shield. Due to the contour of the drawer front and the necessity of accommodating the various elements of the locking mechanism, it would be inconvenient or impossible to employ a single sheet of laminated material. However, with the sections as described, the plate can be assembled with little diiculty and when the sections are welded together a protecting plate of maximum strength and resistance is provided.

As an added precaution against tampering with the bolt actuating mechanism and its actuating cam 59, the rive-ply laminated plate 56 is arc welded to the outer face of the lock supporting plate 47. This plate 56 as previously stated, is drilled to receive the sleeves 58 and 61 which surround the operating shafts 54 and 60. With a protecting plate such as 56 surrounding these shafts and lying immediately in front of the actuating cams 59 and 59a, protection of those vital areas is adequately afforded.

Further protection is afforded in the preferred form of the invention by providing a band of ve-ply steel 102 which extends completely around each drawer front at the first offset as shown in Fig. 4. This band is continuously welded as at 103, to the front plate assembly 99, and embraces the inner face of the web 46 at the first offset to insure against the entrance of any tool which might seek access around the boundary of the drawer opening.

In order to insure against the entrance of a tool in the vicinity of the plunger mechanism 77 which operatively connects the control rods 74 and 80, a substantially U-shaped shield 104 envelops the plunger 77 and its sleeve 78. This shield is shown in detail in Fig. 5 and its installation in Fig. 4. The shield 104 is also in the form of a laminated S-ply steel section which fits in the bulk head between the drawer openings in spaced relation to the plunger sleeve 78. A pair of angle irons 105 welded to the free edges of the U-shaped shield 104 at top and bottom, are secured by welding to the adjacent faces of the inner surface of the bulk head 89 as shown in Fig. 4. Thus, the curved outer face of the shield 104 presents an affective obstacle to the entrance of any tool through the jamb frame and the forward end of the bulk head, should an effort be made to tamper with the gang lock mechanism at this point.

Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of an automa-tic bolt holding device for retaining the locking bolts 69 and 70 in an unlocked position while the drawer is opened. As will be seen from Figs. 11 and l2, this device which is generally represented by the numeral 106, consists of a yoke member 107 which is eccentrically mounted in vertical position, for pivotal movement about a pivot pin o1' screw 108 secured to the inwardly projecting end 109 of an angle iron support or bracket 110 which is secured to the lock supporting channel 48a. The device 106 is located in the drawer head adjacent the locking end of each of the lock bolts 70-70a of the respective drawers, said lock bolt being provided with an annular recess 111, spaced inwardly from its locking end. The forward edge of the yoke 107 is recessed as at 112 at its upper corner to provide a shoulder which is adapted to be brought into and out of engagement with the annular recess 111 on the lock bolt, upon the pivotal movement of the yoke 107. The corresponding lower corner of the yoke is turned outwardly at an angle as at 113 to provide a spring abutment for a leaf spring 114 fastened at one end 115 to the angle bracket 110 while its opposite end maintains a spring tensioned engagement with the spring abutment 113. Thus, the yoke 107 is normally urged to rotate clockwise about its axis 108 (as viewed in Fig. 11) to force the vertical shoulder formed by the recess 112 into engagement with the lock bolt recess 111 when the latter is brought into registry by the retraction by the bolt lock 70. The opposite or rear edge of the yoke 107 is bent at right angles in the direction opposite to the spring abutment 113, to provide an actuating flange 116 which is in line for engagement by a stud 117 or any suitable abutment, mounted in iixed relation in the drawer receiving opening. The stud or abutment 117 is adapted to be projected through a suitable opening 118 in the rear skin 47 of the drawer head, so that when the drawer reaches its closed position the abutment 117 contacts the ange 116 on the yoke 107, rocking the latter about its pivot 108 in counterclockwise direction to remove the shoulder 112 from the recess 111 in the lock bolt 70, to thus permit the projection of said lock bolt into locked position. On the other hand, when the drawer is pulled outwardly, the spring 114 rocks the yoke 107 in clockwise direction and automatically shifts the shoulder 112 into the recess 111 to retain the lock bolt 70 in unlocked position. It will be understood that a similar bolt-holding device is employed in each of the drawers of the cabinet.

In order to provide for proper adjustment of the yoke 107, to insure alignment of the recess 111 with the shoulder 112, the supporting angle 110 is slidably mounted on the channel 48a by means of slots and screws 119, as shown in Fig. 3.

It will be apparent that a le cabinet constructed in accordance with the present invention is practically inaccessible to unauthorized tampering. The front face of each of the drawers is shielded by the plates 99, which completely cover the locking mechanism, and the lateral edges of the drawers are shielded by the plates 96 adjacent the jamb, and the lateral edges of the drawers per se are protected by the surrounding band 102. Also, the improved lock mechanism and automatic lock-holding device which are particularly adapted to the structural innovations of the invention provide for efficient and accurate lock control.

From the foregoing it is believed that the invention may be readily understood by those skilled in the art without further description, it being borne in mind that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A security tile, comprising a cabinet, a series of superimposed drawer receiving openings in said cabinet, separated at their forward ends by horizontal compartments, drawers slidably mounted in respective openings, the front of each drawer being formed by a pair of parallel, spaced walls, defining a lock and bolt receiving chamber, a protecting shield comprising a plate of laminated tool-resistant metal extending entirely across the inner surfaces of the front walls of said chambers, a main lock mechanism in the chamber of the uppermost drawer, secondary lock mechanisms in the chambers of succeeding drawers, a main control rod in said uppermost drawer, operatively connected to said main lock mechanism and vertically shiftable thereby, vertically aligned secondary control rods in each of the succeeding drawers, an independent coupling rod in each of the compartments between adjacent drawers, aligned for abutment by the control rod of the drawer next above and next below, a protecting metal shield extending entirely across the inner surface of said horizontal compartments in substantial vertical alignment with said first-named shield, means operated by said secondary control rods for preventing manipulations of respective secondary lock mechanisms, whereby major portions of said lock mechanisms are protected against access and upon locking of said main lock mechanism, the succeeding lock mechanisms are collectively locked.

2. A security iile as claimed in claim 1, including means operable upon the opening of any lower drawer for irnpeding locking of all of said lock mechanisms.

3. A security le as claimed in claim 1, including means operable upon the opening of any lower drawer, to intercept the respective coupling rods to impede locking of all said lock mechanisms.

4. A security le as claimed in claim 1, including a spring biased plate slidably mounted on the underside of each of said horizontal compartments and normally tensioned for movement into the path of the respective coupling rod, an abutment on the respective drawer front, engageable by said plate in advance of the limit of closing movement of said drawer, to remove said plate from said path and thereby render said control rods engageably responsive to said couplings, said couplings urging said control rods to retain the drawers locked.

5. A security tile as claimed in claim 1, including a laminated second protecting shield of tool resistant metal enveloping said coupling rods and spaced rearwardly of the first-named protecting shield.

6. A security le as claimed in claim 5, wherein said last named protecting shield is substantially U-shaped in cross section to present a convex protecting surface toward the front of said cabinet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 711,994 Meigs Oct. 28, 1902 732,971 Stoeler July 7, 1903 1,033,793 Geraty July 30, 1912 1,252,790 Dick Jan. 8, 1918 2,270,551 Peiter Jan. 20, 1942 2,333,511 Bates Nov. 2, 1943 2,500,000 Lambert Mar. 7, 1950 2,613,623 Behrens Oct. 14, 1952 2,653,070 McClellan Sept. 22, 1953 2,710,216 Eichacker June 7, 1955 2,750,902 McClellan June 19, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 685 Great Britain Mar. 6, 1866 694 Great Britain Mar. 7, 1866 1,911 Great Britain July 22, 1865 86,752 Austria Dec. 27, 1921 

